Tanzania and Kenya have committed to eliminating the last remaining trade barriers between them and strengthening transparency to help businesses benefit more from the East African Community Common Market. Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs and East African Cooperation James Millya said the two countries have made progress in removing obstacles to cross-border trade but still face outstanding challenges. Speaking at the Nairobi Dialogues on Global Trust over the weekend, he said 54 of the 68 identified non-tariff barriers between the two countries have been eliminated, leaving 14 to be addressed.
Mr Millya stressed the importance of building trust and accountability in bilateral trade relations, emphasizing that continued cooperation is necessary to ensure traders operate in a transparent and predictable business environment. He pledged that Tanzania will continue working with Kenya to follow up on traders' complaints, strengthen transparency and propose regular dialogue with traders at the Namanga and Holili border posts. The two countries have been deepening bilateral relations through the Joint Commission for Cooperation, which has held four sessions since its establishment in 2009. The commission provides a framework for collaboration in trade, agriculture, education and other sectors.
Bilateral trade between the two countries reached 860 million US dollars in 2025, according to available government records, down 9.4 per cent from 950 million US dollars in 2024. In May this year, Kenyan President William Ruto made a two-day state visit to Tanzania, during which the two countries signed eight agreements covering energy, legal cooperation, agriculture, railway development, public service capacity building, maritime cooperation and harmonisation of standards, including certification for seafarers. Tourism, energy and infrastructure featured prominently in the discussions, as both countries seek to accelerate economic growth and strengthen connectivity.
In the energy sector, cooperation includes an operational power interconnection linking Isinya and Namanga, which facilitates electricity exchange, including power from Ethiopia. For Tanzanian and Kenyan businesses and traders, removing these remaining barriers could create a more predictable environment for cross-border commerce and potentially help recover trade volumes from the decline recorded last year.